It seems like everybody in this country has an opinion on St. Louis Rams DE Michael Sam and his current plight as the first every openly-gay NFL player. Opinions fly around the world-wide-web like an obnoxious drama and former Super Bowl winning coach and current NBC analyst Tony Dungy recently weighed in on the discussion.
When asked if he would have taken Sam if he had the choice to draft, Dungy said he “wouldn’t have taken Sam,” according to TBO.com.
Dungy said this: "I wouldn't have taken him. Not because I don't believe Michael Sam should have a chance to play, but I wouldn't want to deal with all of it.”
"It's not going to be totally smooth ... things will happen,” Dungy went on to add.
Sam has received much positive recognition since his decision to “come-out” in February, including winning the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2014 ESPY’s, according to ESPN.com. The speech Sam delivered on that night was a tear-jerker for many, yet others feel he has a long way to go to prove real courage.
Dungy, surprisingly, is one of those people as he realizes a long, tough journey awaits Sam.
Dungy is a full-time conservative and seemingly always backs the player in most “sticky” situations, including Michael Vick just a short few years ago. Dungy was the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl and since his retirement in 2009, has been one of the more respected “NFL guys.” Some teams reportedly receive advice from Dungy and use his word as gospel.
It’s surprising to say the least that Dungy has gone the negative route on the Sam situation. It is obvious that both Sam and the Rams will have some incredible difficulties through this journey, but to hear Dungy would not have personally drafted him comes as a shocker to most around the league.